"We're estimated to land in an hour, sir. You should get some rest." A young man— my newest assistant— asks. For once, he seems genuinely concerned about my wellbeing. Not necessarily him, but the people that I often deal with aren't that concerned about my restless nature.
"I'm no older than you. I've told you before to just call me Victor." I reply quietly as I set my notebook down, "This is your first expedition out of school. They never go how you think they will."
The young man seems to squirm in his seat, "You're the lead biologist— let alone herpetologist— in some of the most famous studies we handled in school. It's... hard to just call you by your first name, sir."
If only he knew.
"Yes, well, I'm still the same age as you. I'm still human. We're going to an island that was somehow undiscovered despite all of the technology mankind possesses. We do not know the ecology. We don't even have an idea of what animals might have evolved. I am not the expert. I know nothing. We are on equal footing in this endeavor, no?" I finally sigh, squeezing the bridge of my nose in a mixture of frustration and encroaching dread, "Fuck, Mr. Davis, you might honestly be better in this situation than I will."
My assistant leans forward out of curiosity, his eyes bright at the underlying praise. He stammers, "H- How? You've been... You have way more experience, surely..."
I smile softly, "Yes, and my experience has taught me many, many things. It means I will always look for similarities— as humans often do— between what I seek to know and what I already do. When you know little, you learn more. That being said, I must ask that you seek caution. The government sent people to try to map the environment we are about to step into. Thanks to them, we have a rough sighting of a 'snake-like' creature that allegedly tore apart the soldiers with them. That, even if it was hyperbolic, reveals that there is an unknown species here that scared people I can only hope were properly trained."
Mr. Davis's eyes widen in some mixture of amazement and fear, so I smile softly, "If you are not by my side, you will be near the soldiers. Do not leave the camp alone. If you or any other individual are at risk while you are observing the surroundings, return to the camp at once. We have two weeks here. I intend to make the most of it, but that does not mean I will sacrifice the well-being of another person."
"When I was talking to some of my friends about this expedition, they said that they didn't know a single person who liked you after they were your assistant. Why?" Mr. Davis asks, frowning, "You seem... much more personable than I imagined."
I shrug as I twirl my pen on my finger, "Ask them. If it was my age or my... unorthodox manner of study, I can and will do very little about that. I assure you that I am aware of my rather... obvious distaste for humankind. Comes with the territory of telling poachers to shove their rifles up their ass before they shoot them."
My newest assistant smiles, however, his eyes twinkling, "This is the first time you've spoken to me other than orders and employment. I... admired your activism when I first heard about you, but it seems that your studies ended up making you even more famous."
The memories of my family being slaughtered flash in my head blindingly and I shake the thought away with a calm smile, "People are stubborn— selfish— by their very nature. Nothing matters more than our incessant need for more space, more resources, more... I turned to mere research in the hope that it would force others to see the personality behind animals' eyes."
"And yet, you chose snakes to study?" Mr. Davis asks, his voice taking on an incredulous note.
"Reptilian and amphibian creatures," I correct with yet another shake of my head as I pick up my notebook, "People choose to believe that fluffy and feathered animals are friends, and yet those with only scales or bare skin are disgusting. Intelligence comes in many forms and so, too, does personality. I seek to show the beauty of them and their dying ecosystems. Now that we've wasted enough time, though, let me ask you something."
I open the worn leather to my latest page and toss it haphazardly towards his lap, "The people who came before us discovered three things in the month they took to map out the island. First, there were remnants of the shed skin of what seems to be a rather large reptile. Second, there seems to be an uncharted, unknowable cave system that is nearly completely filled with water. Lastly, and what's on that page there, are the notes I took and pictures I printed of a long strand of black keratin. It was found with the skin. The question I have for you..."
"Tell me, Mr. Davis. Do you genuinely believe that rumor that's spreading in the scientific world? Do you believe that this is some sort of mythical being?" I try to keep the hopeful inflection out of my voice. If he is truly going to be my assistant, I need to be able to trust that he will take seeing over believing.
"Considering that they only found part of the skin, is it not more reasonable to assume that a long-haired mammal has evolved to gain some amount of nutrients from it? Has the hair been microscopically compared to others?" Mr. Davis speaks as he scans the page, flipping to the empty one behind it as he tries to seek more knowledge.
I frown slightly, "Yes, but the results were inconclusive. It most closely resembled a stand of human hair, but each of the people were accounted for and the one who discovered both the hair and skin was a blonde woman."
My assistant frowns as the plane starts to shake in turbulence, "Is it possible that the island is inhabited? The idea of people not taking advantage of a rich ecosystem seems... just as insane as us having not found it sooner. In which case, we are potentially dealing with both a large reptile and a group of local indigenous people who could take us as a threat."
"Thank you for your insight. I will admit that I believe as much to be true, though that question will have to be answered when we arrive." I sigh amicably as he returns the notebook to my hand, leaning my head back, "You should rest as much as possible. We will be busy as soon as we touch down."
What if, though? Is this my answer? Is this my freedom? How long as it been? Could even... Could even a deadly snake of such size do it?
Ah, I wonder if Mr. Davis believes the rumors my ex-assistants love to spread. I can't say they're wrong and many of my actions could be called "careless." He'd be smarter if he did, wouldn't he?
YOU ARE READING
Forever Captive
General Fiction****** Disclaimer! This book contains depictions of violence, gore, vulgar language, and *checks notes* the grammar and words of a man who has a habit of writing on his poor computer at 2 in the morning. That being said, it does also contain lemon...
